Growing Pains

Summer is my favorite time of the year. The free time allows us the luxury to indulge in lazy days and hyper nights, travel, cuddles, sunshine, ice cream, movie nights, walks around the neighborhood and very few rules. I get to spend 24/7 with the monsters and learn about each one of them in a way that I couldn't during the school year.

When the monsters were little especially the crazy years(three children under age 6) I never understood what people meant when they said, "Enjoy this age, they grow up in the blink of an eye". I would stare blankly at these annoying people and think to myself, really are you changing the zillions of diapers a day or are you the one who hasn't had a quiet day in years? 

I remember days when all three monkeys wanted to climb on me and the multiple times I had to clean the kitchen floor. I remember the never ending feeds and the exhaustion I felt between cleaning, nap times, diaper changes, snot wiping, homework and everything else. I remember all too well how I wanted to be free from the shackles of the stroller and diaper bag and how I desperately wanted the days to end, to be able to sit on the sofa without interruptions.

And just as I had been warned,in the blink of an eye,my babies became children. The inevitable changes which time brings with no mercy are upon us; cuddly snuggles have transitioned into forced awkward limby hugs, the chub is now replaced with muscle and bones and the sweet innocence is slowly being replaced with irritating know-it-all responses. They are independent and self sufficient; they are old enough to clean the kitchen and change a few diapers while I sit on the sofa writing this post. 

Some things haven't changed; I still have a diaper bag and a stroller and I just send the monsters to their bedroom for the millionth time so I could finish writing this post. Exhaustion still prevails and often the day seems like it might never end; I still wait desperately for Jibin to get home and rescue me from the monsters.

Nevertheless, I have changed. I am more patient and appreciate the privilege of being a mother; a stay at home mother at that. I appreciate that I am alive to see my children grow, thankful for their health and lives. I know that no matter how long the day might be, life is short. I know these magical years filled with dirty diapers, sleepless nights and exhaustion do come to an end; too soon they'll be grown with monsters of their own. 

I also know that today they remain my monsters and I will snuggle and hug and be thankful for even the limbiest, most insincere hugs. I will forever appreciate with great gratitude the mess, noise, poop and sticky floors, for I now know, that in the blink of an eye I will reminisce these chaotic days with wonderment.

jumping aka giving me a heart attack

With Love,

Jawaria